Orihime Inoue and the Getsuga Pirates
by starlightwraith
Summary: Orihime loves using her unique powers to help people, but when the Arrancar Pirates invade her home, their captain Aizen forces her to join his crew and use them for plundering and building his empire. Forced to become a member of a ruthless pirate crew and become a fugitive, can a ragtag gang of up and coming pirates help her escape this life? Ichihime AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok for those of you who don't know, this is based off of Nami's backstory from One Piece and maybe the Fishman arc (If I get around to it)**

 **I own nothing: Bleach belongs to Kubo and One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda.**

The peaceful atmosphere pf Karakura town was disrupted by a scuffle in the local bakery. 13 year old Orihime Inoue wrestled to get out of the grip of the stately-looking, silver haired man holding her wrist and avoided the glare of his equally stern-looking niece, Nanao.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Wailed Orihime.

"Please let me go!"

"Eating sweets without paying for them in the back of the shop!" Said her captor, Ryuuken Ishida (the town's medical doctor)

"Need I remind you that you are a child in modern times and not a primitive neanderthal"

"I'm sorry!" Repeated Orihime.

"But I don't have any money and I was so hungry (and everybody knows that you should always eat whenever you're hungry), and those cakes in the bakery looked so yummy and-"

"Unacceptable!" Cried Nanao.

"You could at least have the decency to take responsibility for your wrongdoing instead of trying to write it off as something that's beyond your control!"

"Please let me go! I apologized! What else do you want me to do!"

"I want you to go home to your brother and tell him about what you've been up to. And I'll be paying a visit later to make sure that you did!"

"Why would you be so mean? What did I ever do to hurt you? Whatever it is, I'm sorry!" Whined Orihime.

"You needn't trouble yourself with paying a visit" Said Nanao.

"I shall escort her back home and tell her brother myself"

Orihime looked at her with a horrified expression that clearly said 'why?'

Ryuuken smiled.

"How very considerate on your part, Nanao. I expect you to be back by supper"

"Count on it" Agreed Nanao.

Grabbing Orihime by the arm, she proceeded to escort her home in the manner of a cop escorting a crook to prison.

Orihime's house was positioned on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a small, but sturdy cottage covered in honeysuckle and ivy vines with a beautiful garden overrun with starfruit, papayas, mangoes, guavas, and all kinds of other tropical produce. Orihime and her brother made ends meet by selling these in the local Farmer's Market.

Nanao knocked on the door in a buisness-like manner. Orihime's brother Sora opened the door. He was a modest loooking youth in his twenties with chocolate brown hair and kind eyes. When he saw Orihime, his face lit up like a starry sky. Nothing made him happier like the sight of his beloved sister

"Hey 'hime" He chimed.

"Glad to see you made it home allright!"

"I got a ride!" Giggled Orihime.

Sora's eyes pooled with puzzlement for a paused moment before noticing Nanao.

"Oh, hey Ise! You didn't need to take Orihime home. She knows her way around Karakura town pretty good, for a girl her age. Thanks for it, though"

"I absolutely had to take her home!" Spluttered Nanao.

"And it's not her safety that I was concerned for. It's the peace of the community! My dear uncle and myself caught her eating unpaid pastries in the back of the bakery like some kind of a demon child! Who knows how much trouble she would have gone on to stir up if we hadn't found her when we did!"

Instead of glaring at Orihime and asking her to confirm the validity of Nanao's accusation, Sora simply chuckled good-naturedly.

"Oh, come on Ise! Cut the kid a little slack! Hasn't there ever been a time in _your_ life when you wanted something so badly that you just _took it_? Come on, we've all been there!"

"I have no idea who you are lumping into a group there when you use the term 'we'" Blustered Nanao.

"But I humbly beg of you to leave me out of that generalization! I swear to the heavens! I don't know why I thought you would put some sense into that child's head. How could I forget that _you're_ the reason why she acts so callously!"

"Well now, that may be true! She does take after her big bro don't she?"

Orihime beamed. Her older brother was her idol and she loved it when he compared himself to her. It made her feel so proud.

"I hope you and old man Ryuuken were kind enough to pay for the cakes she ate"

"Naturally" Said Nanao crisply.

"And in addition your addressing of my uncle with the respectful term, "Dr. Ishida", I expect compensation for all the trouble Orihime has caused us"

"Well, I'll be happy to return the favor to anybody who gets my sis out of a tight spot" Agreed Sora. Then, a sly grin pervaded his face and he flashily winked.

" _And it doesn't have to be with money_ " He added in a stage whisper as he blew Nanao a kiss.

Nanao's face turned red as a strawberry and she scuttled backwards so abrubtly that she almost tripped over a watermelon vine. After flailing in midair in an attempt to catch her balance and squawking in alarm, she glared at the (loudly guffawing) siblings nearly doubled over in laughter.

"How-how _dare_ you!" She spluttered.

"Do you take me to be some floozy tramp!? _The very nerve of you to make such lewd implications to a respectable girl like the doctor's niece!_ And in front of your _sister_! I'm under no obligation to have to endure such misogynistic dribble from the likes of you! I won't stand for it!"

And on that (overly-eloquent) note, she turned tail and stormed away from the cottage, so preoccupied with displaying her outrage, that she completely forgot to tell Sora about her desired means of reimbursement.

"Ohh, that works on her every time and it never gets old!" Chortled Sora as he watched her figure fade into the distance.

"You're so funny Sora!" Giggled Orihime, although she wasn't very sure about why Nanao had gotten so flustered over being offered payment as (what she thought Sora meant to be) fruit

Her laughter nervously fizzled out as Sora knelt down beside her, all mirth gone.

"Now, that brings my attention to you"

"Owwchiies!" Whined Orihime as she tenderly comforted the bruise on her head (courtesy of her brother's noogie of retribution)

"What have I told you about stealing, Orihime?"

"I'm sorry! It's just that...I was so hungry and those pastries looked so good!"

"Then why didn't you just go home and tell me? I'd have given you money for them." Said Sora in a reproachful voice.

Orihime blushed and looked at her feet.

"'Cuz...Because" She mumbled.

"If you have something to say, just spit it out already" Sora sighed.

"It's just-just- that... I know we can't afford it...and I didn't want to waste our savings on me..."

"What are you talking about? We still have a boatload of leftover profits from our last trip to the Farmer's Market and the next one's right around the corner and our fruits are top quality to boot!"

Orihime felt like crying. She really didn't want to tell her brother what she knew. She hated being the bearer of bad news.

"I was playing with my friend's yesterday...and...and they told me how good their harvests have been because of all the good weather...and I realized that this means everybody's got good fruits so...so there's no telling how many consumers we'll have!"

Sora smiled patiently.

"You're just a little kid, sis. You shouldn't be concerning yourself with boring, grown up stuff like that. Don't worry about it. Everything will be fine!"

Orihime scowled. She hated when her older brother brushed off her concerns as illogical and told her not to worry. She wasn't an idiot and she wasn't a baby. She was a teenage girl and having her (quite rational) worries about their economic life being unheeded by Sora was starting to feel condescending and rude.

"Well, you got yourself into a tight spot didn't ya, Orihime!"

"Well, you managed to get yourself into a fix there didn't you, Orihime?"

Orihime turned around to see her best friend, Tatsuki behind her.

"Tatsuki! When did you get here?"

"Saw the commotion at the baker's and decided to follow you and Nanao to watch the rest of the show" She smirked.

"If it was me, I know for sure I wouldn't have got caught!"

"What the heck was that for!" Tatsuki whined seconds later as Sora's fist came ounding onto her head.

"Don't encourage my sis" He scolded.

"You're lucky I don't tell you're parents about what you just said. I doubt they'd be too thrilled about the idea of their daughter promoting thievery"

"I was just kidding, already!"

Orihime suddenly gasped.

"Oh, Tatsuki! You're hurt!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I was hiding in the bushes from my seat and I guess I cut my hand as I came out" Shrugged the short-haired tomboy.

"Let me heal it!" Cried Orihime as she took her hand.

"It's fine really, don't sweat it."

But Orihime wasn't listening. Cupping her hands over Tatsuki's lacerated one, she uttered an incantation.

"Soutten Kishhun: I reject"

Immediately, a softly glowing sphere of orange light encompassed Tatsuki's palm. Within moments, the gash on it shrank from a minor papercut to a nonexistant thing of the past. For this was Orihime's special talent and the reason why she worked in Dr. Ishida's clinic. She had the power of the shun shun rika, an ancient magic unique to the Inoue clan. By using any one of three mantras, Orihime could heal wounds, set up force fields, and even attack enemies. All of the women in her family had this talent, yet nobody knew why. Orihime put it to use by healing patients in her town's hospital, making her a more superb healer than any of the doctors or nurses there. Indeed, many people were grateful to Orihime for a large number of them would have died if not for her phenomenal gift.

"I swear, 'hime. Your shun shun rika never ceases to amaze me"

"You've seen it like a hundred times, Sora" Said Tatsuki.

"And if that doesn't say a lot about the fact that it still amazes me, I don't know what does"

 **Ok, so that's the first chapter, and I think I did ok on it! Please tell me what you think in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Sora, these bean sprouts are delicious!" Said Tatsuki (who was visiting the cottage)

"I bet they'd taste even better with melted chocolate!" Said Orihime as she went to go get some from the fridge.

"NO!" Cried Sora and Tatsuki.

"Honestly, Orihime, I don't know where you get your taste buds" Sighed Sora

"Not from this planet that's for sure" Joked Tatsuki.

The trio laughed comfortably.

"Sora, try these bean sprouts! Tatsuki's mom was so nice to send us some!" Orihime offered her brother some from her plate.

"No thanks!" Laughed the man.

"But you must be hungry!" Exclaimed the little girl, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she saw her brother eating.

"I'm full from sneaking into the mango trees this afternoon!" Said Sora, patting his stomach.

Orihime's eyes brimmed with tears. Getting up from the table, she pushed her food away.

"Hey what's wrong?" Asked Tatsuki.

"I'm full too." Orihime whispered.

"What's with the burst of drama?" Drawled Sora. His sister turned to him, hurt and anger in her eyes.

"Why do you keep lying to me?" She hissed, her tears sizzling with stifling fury.

Tears began spilling from her eyes.

"I know you aren't eating because there isn't enough money left in our savings from these past market days to buy food. Admit it!"

Tatsuki gasped.

"is...is this true?"

"You're letting yourself starve to death so that I won't go hungry" She sobbed.

"Mangoes give me all the energy I need to keep myself going." Said Sora, carelessly.

"How else do you think I keep this youthful glow?"

"Then-then why are your hands shaking" Inquired Tatsuki.

"Can it and eat" Replied Sora, a newly acquired edge in his voice.

"Please don't lie to me, Sora" Whimpered Orihime.

"Don't do this for me. I'm begging you... I'm not a little girl"

Suddenly months of pent up frustration came cascading into Orihime's heart.

"You think I'm stupid don't you? I bet you think that I don't realize that wer're poor and that we're struggling financially! But I do! I thought you could tell me everything! I thought we could always trust each other! But you don't! You're just a rotten liar!"

Sora looked away. Tatsuki bit her lip

"Maybe...Orihime, this isn't like you...please cut Sora a little slack...he's just looking out for you...it isn't his fault that you guys...you guys...aren't doing so well..."

"SHUT UP!"

Tatsuki nearly fell over in her chair, stunned at her usually passive friend's outburst.

"You don't get to tell me what I should do! You can't say anything about me! You don't know anything about my life? How could you? Your family owns one of the biggest sugar plantations in town! You've probably never had to worry about money a day in your life!"

That remark was enough to send Tatsuki back to her senses. Leaping up from her chair, she marched over to Orihime.

"You think your family is the only one that's suffering? You think you are the only one who ever has to worry about money troubles? You honestly think that just because my family owns a plantation, we aren't worried about how well our goods will sell too? Gosh, you're even more dense than I thought you were!"

Orihime sobbed as she released the words containing the biggest fear in her heart

"At least your family wouldn't be better off without _you_!"

"SMACK!"

As if on reflex, Sora had gotten up from the table and backhanded Orihime so hard that her legs gave way and she fell on her behind. Tatsuki's jaw dropped to form an 'O' with her mouth, and Orihime's eyes were almost as large as it.

"S-Sora?" She whimpered.

Her brother gasped as if he was waking up from a trance. His eyes filled with horror at the sight of the ugly, throbbing bruise on his sister's face.

"Orihime! I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what-"

Orihime wasn't holding anything back. Her rawest, most negative thoughts from the darkest part of her soul came gushing out of her.

"I HATE YOU!" She shrieked through her tears.

"YOU'RE THE WORST BROTHER EVER! I WISH THAT YOU NEVER EXISTED! I WISH I HAD ACTUAL PARENTS TO LIVE WITH! PARENTS WHO TREATED ME WITH RESPECT AND NOT LIKE A DUMB LITTLE GIRL! I WISH I HAD ANYBODY AT ALL WHO WASN'T A STUPID, STINKY LOSER LIKE **YOU!** "

A bolt of thunder from the storm outside crashed through the sky and the room was dead silent. In seconds, Orihime realized the effect of the words she had uttered. She gasped and slammed her hand against her mouth. But it was too late. The damage was done. Sora's eyes turned cold as steel before he turned away from her.

"Allright then." He said curtly.

"Have it your way. If you hate it here so much, I won't force you to stay. I didn't sign up for this"

"Everybody calm down! Stop fighting!" Cried Tatsuki desperately. But her words were in vain. Orihime got to her feet and brashly brushed away her tears.

"FINE!" She sobbed.

"I _will_ go! And I'll never ever come _back!_ "

Without even bothering to grab her raincoat or boots, she burst out of the house and into the full glory of the newly-hatched storm.

Sora and Tatsuki stood in silence for what felt like hours. Finally, long after the storm ended, did Tatsuki find the courage to speak.

"Sora-Orihime-you know she didn't mean any of that...she-she was just mad-cause she feels like-you're not being honest to her-and-and she hates feeling like a burden-and-she hates...being in the dark about things."

Sora turned to look at her and Tatsuki's heart broke at the sight of his eyes, stained red from tears.

"All you guys have is each other..." She went on, as she gained more courage.

"You're Orihime's whole world. And I know that you're not stupid enough to not know how much she adores you!"

A glimmer of hope fluttered across Sora's face.

"Don't tell me that you think that just because you had one angsty little fight that you're _not_ the moon, sun, and stars to Orihime? Do you _honestly_ think that she would really truly want to live with _anyone_ who isn't you? You only need to _have_ a brain to know that's a load of B.S!"

There was an incredibly long silence. Tatsuki was beginning to wonder if maybe it would be best for her to go back home, when Sora began to chuckle wistfully.

"oh, Tatsuki. If this family has a guardian angel, there's no way it wouldn't be you!"

Tatsuki blushed.

"I-I'm just stating the obvious here"

"Well, sometimes an idiot like myself needs to have the obvious stuffed in front of his face."

Tatsuki smiled.

"Everybody's like that at some point"

"Say Tatsuki, it'd be kinda rude of me to ask you for anything considering all you've done for us. But could you find Orihime and get her to come home"

Tatsuki jokingly punched Sora's shoulder.

"Aww, you should know by know that you don't need to ask!"


	3. Chapter 3

Orihime ran like the wind, apathetic to the savage threat of being struck by lightning. Her thicket of tears and the heavy rain stopped her from seeing anything and it was sheer instinct that drove her in the direction that she chose. Her heart felt like somebody was driving a spike into it and several times the pain made her fall to her knees and sob heavily before finding the strength to keep going. When her throat finally stopped feeling like it was going to cave in any second, the rain had stopped and she could see clearly again. She took in her surroundings and realized that she was in front of the hospital; Her second sanctum of solace. It would be a good place to pick up supplies for her trip. Drying her eyes, she walked inside and went to a supply closet. She wasn't really sure what she could find in in that would be good for a journey but it was a good headstart.

"What do you think you're doing? You are more than aware that your shift doesn't start until tomorrow, Ms. Inoue"

Orihime whirled around on reflex so fast that she fell backwards into a mop bucket.

"Dr. Ishida!" She exclaimed.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing raiding my supply closet? Don't bother if you're just going to lie, but as you were trying to take my property I'm rightfully inclined to believe myself to be entitled to a response" Said the scholarly old geezer.

Orihime knew that there was no point in trying to lie to Dr. Ishida. Even if she had planned out an excuse beforehand, he would detect the falsity. It seemed like he could read her mind, for how else could she never hide anything from him?

"I-I'm running away from home" She said, forcing herself to keep a firm upper lip as she struggled to get out.

Dr. Ishida said nothing for exactly thirty seconds. Then he offerered a hand to her. Orihime used it to hoist her self out of the basket and got to her feet.

"Follow me" was all Dr. Ishida said. His voice suggested that it would be unwise to dispute. Orihime followed him like a beaten dog and realized that she was being led to his office (she hadn't really expected otherwise)

"Sit" Demanded the doctor. Orihime did so, dejectedly, too ashamed to look him in the eye. However, she looked up when she heard a clunking sound in front of her. Looking up, she saw a glass of milk and Dr. Ishida walking back to his desk.

"It would be wise of you to drink while it's still hot"

Orihime gulped it down on queue, surprised by how thirsty she was. When she finished, she looked at Dr. Ishida, wondering what he would do next.

"Would you like to tell me why you're running away?" Orihime was stunned. For the first time in her memory, Ryuuken Ishida was speaking with an ounce of kindness in his voice instead of his usual, apathetic professional tone. This was history in the making! Orihime found that this opportunity was too rare to deny his request.

"Sora and I-had a nasty fight" She said, her voice quivering at the memory of her brother's words.

"Siblings have fights all the time; in the long term, they are usually discovered to be petty and unrealistic" Ryuuken replied patiently.

"Well, it wasn't just the fight" Explained Orihime.

"The more I think about it-the more I realize that-that-that Sora would be better off without me! He has to sacrifice so much for me to be happy. But I'd rather be sad for the rest of my life than happy at his expense!"

Ryuuken said nothing, choosing to nod simply. He had an incredibly concentrated expression on his face not unlike a psychiatrist analyzing his patient. Then, he abruptly got up and walked over to a filing cabinet. Orihime watched in perplexity as he leafed through it for some time before producing a file and laying it on her lap.

"What is this?" She wondered.

"Read it and find out"

As Orihime read the label, she was shocked to learn that it was Sora's medical file. She looked through it, amazed at the number of times he had been sent in for being physically injured or a drug overdose. She couldn't believe it.

"Are you sure that this is the same Sora Inoue who's my brother?" She asked Ryuuken skeptically.

"I am afraid so" He said.

"It is with my deepest apologies that I inform you that your parents were a long stretch from wholesome, good-natured people. They were always fighting and their arguments often escalated to physical harm. Your brother was caught in the crossfire on more than a couple of occaisions."

Orihime gasped. Sora had always avoided answering questions about her parents whenever she'd asked and withdrawn himself into a moody depression for days on end. After a while, Orihime figured that it would be better to just avoid the subject. But she had no idea that this was the reason. Poor Sora!

"When he reached his teens, he turned to abusing opium, and marijuana in an attempt to deal with the pain. At the rate at which he was sent to the hospital, the entire staff was harboring the suspicions that-that he might have been doing it on purpose in an attempt to-to get away from it all"

Orihime's eyes were starting to brim over again, and she held her hand to her mouth in horror.

"There wasn't a single person in the village who didn't think that Sora Inoue was a lost cause who would end up in the same direction as your parents, my dear. We were all just waiting for the day in which it was too late to save him." Ryuuken continued.

"But that all changed when you were born. Your parents always liked to keep to themelves, but eventually the baby bump in your mother's belly was noted by the street vendors when she went to Market and word got around. It was also noted that around the same time, your brother seemed to have to come to the hospital less and less once we realized it. Your neighbors observations from the windows concluded that he was trying to wean himself off the drugs he was hooked on. Never in my life had I seen a patient undergo withdrawal with the minimum number of relapses that he had under his belt"

Orihime sobbed. Her brother really was amazing! She had studied in school about how hard it was to break an addiction to a drug and that was with the help of a rehabilitation center in mind!

"When you were finally born, your mother died in childbirth and your father committed suicide shortly afterwards. Your brother was a fifteen year old with no source of income and a baby sister to support. Us sensible older folk encouraged him to put the child up for adoption. Or send her to live with relatives for his own sake and yours. But he refused. If my memory hasn't began to fail me I believe his exact words were 'She's my little baby sister goddamnit. And if I don't look out for her, what's the point in me being around?' Your brother saw taking care of you as his ultimate duty. Within mere months, he completely shed the stigma of being the son of the town drunk and the local floozy and became an upstanding member of our community. If not for you, I'm sure that he would have wasted away shortly after your parent's deaths"

Orihime's tears were freely flowing from her eyes at this point. She was important to her brother! And she _wasn't_ just a burden to him! It was as if a massive ton was lifted off her shoulders and the relief was overwhelming. She needed to apologize to Sora right away!

"Thank you for telling me all this Doctor Ishida!" She cried as she made a beeline for the door.

"But I have to go and apologize to Sora, now"

"Well, I doubt how thankful your brother will be when he learns that I've revealed so much personal information" Grumbled Ryuuken gruffly.

Orihime raced outside the hospital so fast, that she didn't even notice Tatsuki until she had collided into her with the force of a bullet train.

"Tatsuki!" She exclaimed.

"Had a feeling you'd be here, Orihime. I can predict you like the ending to a bad book!"

"I have to go home to Sora right now! I was so stupid!"

"Well, you've just made my mission a heckofa lot easier!"

Hand in hand, the two girls raced back towards the beach, only to stop in perplexity when they saw the massive flood of people racing in the opposite direction.

"Tatsuki! What's going on?" Cried Orihime as she struggled to hold her friend's grip against the tide of fleers.

"Beats me" Said Tatsuki as she kicked a passerby in the shins to get their attention.

"Ouch!"

"You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on!"

"Pirates are coming! Pirates are coming!" Shrieked the informant as they ran off in a frenzy.

Orihime's body turned into an ice sculpture. Did that guy say pirates were attacking? She had heard about pirate raids happening in other towns but never in her life had the possibility of them attacking Karakura town ever occurred to her... Wait a minute! Pirates came from the ocean and worked their way to the heart of town...which meant that they'd begin their raids on the beach!

"SORA!" She shrieked as she raced onward at a breakneck speed, uninterested in the plight of anybody unfortunate enough to get in her way and the plaintive cries of Tatsuki to wait up.

Despite the speed at which she was running, it felt like she was spending hours to get to the outskirts of the beach. And when she finally did, her exhaustion combined with the shock of what was just parking itself on the sand nearly made her faint. It was a massive schooner, larger and more exquisite than any of the merchant ships that ever docked on the ports of Karakura town. But it wasn't the size of the boat that nearly made her wet herself. It was the words painted on the helm : 'Las Noches'.

Orihime started trembling head to toe. These weren't any ordinairy pirates. These were the Arrancar pirates. The most notorious pirate crew in the entire world. The members could be identified by the fact that they all wore white shards on their faces (rumored to be made from the bones of the innocents that they had slaughtered) and had numbers tatooed on their bodies. There were ten pirates on this boat called "The Espada" who were the commanding officers, each of whom had their own division of the crew to manage. And each one was more sadistic than the last with more infamous deeds on their resumes to boot. But it was their captain and his first mate who were really terrifying. Years of plundering towns and villages all over the world and forcing them to give him authority had earned him the title of "The sea's warlord" And his first mate, Kaname Tousen was rumored to have the power to rob his victims of their senses before slashing them to bits in a state of utter fear and panic. And as Orihime hid herself in a bush, she found both of these terrifying men in her view.

Captain Aizen was a man of average height with slicked-back brown hair and cold eyes that glistened with malice and ruthlessness. He wore an unusual white outfit with an emerald green sword hanging at his waist. The diabolical smirk on his face made Orihime feel like she was looking into the eyes of a basilisk itself. If she hadn't been petrified in fear, she might have been tempted to make sure her body wasn't turning to stone. But she felt her body get charged with a thousand volts of electricity when she felt someone touch her shoulder. The unknown assailant's hand ensnared her mouth before it emitted her reflexive scream.

"Shh. It's me, Tatsuki" Whispered her best friend

Orihime threw her arms around her.

"We're in a lot of trouble" She said softly.

"These guys are the Arrancar Pirates"

" _No!_ "

"I mean it! I saw their boat name! And Captain Aizen, himself is currently on our beach!"

Tatsuki whimpered, causing Orihime to hug her in reassurance.

"So that guy I saw when I snuck into this bush really is him? I hoped it was just his less successful brother!"

A black man with an orange scarf and a pair of sunglasses seemingly made from solid mercury emerged from the boat to join Aizen.

"Captain. We appear to be in Karakura town"

Aizen showed his teeth.

"Excellent Kaname. Now send a message to the residents. From now on, this entire district is fortunate enough to be counted as an extension of the Hueco Mundo Empire and as a price for this honor, the inhabitants must pay one hundred thousand dollars every month if they wish to continue doing so."

"It shall be done, Captain" Said the Black man as he bowed down. This must be Tousen, the first mate. He was had the menacing aura of a rabid wolf.

"I urge you to wait here and relax after our voyage" He continued. Aizen shook his head.

"That's very kind of you to offer Kaname. But I think I'd be more inclined to pay a visit to that quaint little cottage over on that cliff" He said as he pointed at Orihime's home

"I think I'd like to talk to the owner"


	4. Chapter 4

Orihime ran like her life depended on it. She forced what little rational thought she had left to end her running up the long way home. If she took the path Aizen was taking, she'd just get caught and most likely killed. She ran. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from the pressure and the adrenaline surging through her veins was so strong that she was certain that if she stopped, it would consume her body like an inferno. She had to save Sora. She had to warn him.

"Orihime!"

She dismissed the voice as one belonging to Tatsuki, registered that it wasn't a danger to her, and kept on running. Tatsuki was far more athletic than she would ever be. She would catch up effortlessly. SHe couldn't afford to waste time on her. Every second that wasn't spent racing towards her house at full speed was another that Aizen would find himself closer to the house in. Sure enough, within moments, she was aware of Tatsuki's presence running alongside her.

"We'll help your brother escape through the backdoor!" Tatsuki's voice was heard over the roaring hysteria in her ears. Orihime couldn't nod or say anything. If she did, the exhaustion from running up a hill might catch up with her and force her to take a breather.

As she neared the house, Orihime forced her legs to put every ounce of her energy into running even faster. Everything was all a blur...The only thing she could see clearly was the backdoor... In seconds she'd be holding the handle...and she'd open it...and she'd get Sora out...and he'd be ok...almost there

"STOP!"

Out of the blue, an arm grabbed Orihime's and the inertia caused from the speed she was going send massive clumps of dirt flying into the heavens. Was it a pirate? Orihime couldn't have cared less at the moment. She didn't need to know who it was or what they were capable of. All she needed to know was that her older brother, the love of her life and the greatest person in the universe was in danger-and this person was stopping her from helping him.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" She howled.

"I'm sorry. But that's out of the question"

"PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! MY BROTHER'S IN THERE! PIRATES ARE COMING!" She scratched the holder of her arm's hand like a wildcat and bit like one two. But the hand must have been made of iron because her attempts were in vain.

"HE'S IN DANGER YOU _HAVE_ TO LET ME HELP HIM _PLEASE_ I'LL DO _ANYTHING_ YOU WANT ME TO JUST LET ME ** _GO! MY BROTHER -_**!"

"There is _nothing_ you can do to save him" Orihime looked up to see that her jailer was Nanao, Dr. Ishida's niece. Tears were running down her face , but her eyes were fixed with a steely determination and her teeth were gritted.

"I have to _try_!" Orihime hissed acidly, as she tried to spit in her eye. Nanao was horrible! But if she couldn't save Sora, maybe Tatsuki could!

"Tatsuki, forget about me!" Pleased the girl as the cropped brunette caught up to her.

"Just go and save Sora! Please! You can still do it if you hurry-"

"Don't even think about moving, Tatsuki" Demanded Nanao as she grasped Orihime's face and forced her to look her in the eye.

"Listen to me Orihime" She said urgently.

"There will be times like this in life when you have to just accept the truth. It isn't going to be easy, but at this moment your brother is as good as-"

"GET OUT OF MY **WAY!** " Screamed Orihime as she punched her square in the face. Finally she was free! As if she could afford to listen to Nanao's idiotic, idealogical philosophy at a time like this!

"AHHHHHHHH!"

A deafening scream ripped through the atmosphere and Orihime's body felt like someone had set it on fire and then plunged it into a subzero degree lake. That was Sora!

"Don't worry brother, I'm coming!" She cried as she ran to the front of the house (where his scream was coming from) She had barely turned around a corner when Nanao grabbed at her in midair and dragged her into a bush with a hand around her mouth. Orihime was about to bite it when the sight before her eyes paralysed her with shock.

Before her very eyes was her brother, sprawled on the ground and trashing like a fish out of water. Pinning him to the ground was a slender man with greasy black hair, narrow eyes the color of mud, and a mouth that took up the entire lower half of his face, set in a Cheshire cat's grin. The man was holding his brother's arm and judging from the angle it was in, had broken it.

Overseeing the whole thing was Aizen, a wistful smile on his face, and a gang of his pirates all around him. That jerk! How dare he! Orihime struggled with all her might to break out of Nanao's back, but Nanao had put one of her arms around her back and draped another around her mouth. Being forced to watch her brother's torture so helplessly filled Orihime to the brim with frustration that she channelled into biting Nanao. But Nanao was unflinching.

"Don't be an imbecile" Called another voice, and Orihime's eyes darted over to the image of Dr. Ishida, as he ran over to her brother.

"There is nothing that this dispute cannot be resolved by without a simple payment"

Aizen nodded sagely.

"It would indeed be in your best interests to listen to your friend" His patient voice with it's malicious undertone grated Orihime's nerves and made her whimper.

"One hundred dollars does not seem like an unreasonable price. If you can pay for yourself and your family, I will certainly spare your life"

Ryuuken propped up Sora.

"How much is in your savings?" He asked cautiously.

In spite of all the pain he must have been in, Sora cocked a grin at him.

"You and I both know that whatever I can scrape together won't be enough to satisfy this asshole"

"That really is a shame" Cooed Aizen, who overheard.

"Not even enough for one person? Surely you live alone"

" _Now_ do you see why I told you to be quiet?" Whispered Nanao.

"There is _no_ way that your brother can pay Aizen 200,000 dollars in his lifetime. If Aizen finds out that he's a hopeless case, he won't see any point in keeping him around! This town belongs to _him_ now and we are all as good as his indentured servants!"

Suddenly a burly, dark-skinned man with vibrant orange eyebrows and what looked like a prosthetic lower jaw emerged.

"The table is set for three people" He called

Tatsuki (who was with Nanao) stifled a gasp with her hand, and Orihime started shaking uncontrollably.

Aizen's smile widened

"What an interesting observation, Yammy"

"That's for me and my neice" Interjected Ryuuken quickly.

Aizen quizically lifted one eyebrow.

"Sora was kind enough to invite the two of us over for dinner. But then you showed up, and our plans took an unfortunate detour"

"Old Man Ryuuken!" Breathed Sora in relief, his eyes filling with tears.

"Now I know you've made something wonderful" Said Ryuuken. His eyes said 'Just pay these thugs whatever you can and he'll leave us alone'

"Hey, Captain!" Said a bespectacled, pink haired man.

"I've found his name on the village registry. It says here that he has a little sister"

Orihime's heart stopped. _No!_

 _"She's_ dead" Said Ryuuken.

"Died of pneumonia a few months ago"

 _"Listen to me Orihime and listen good"_ Muttered Nanao, her voice painfully calm.

"The pirates may know about you but it. Is. Not. To. Late. If you make them see you after I've told them you died, then my family will get punished too, so for the _love of all that is holy be careful_. I can try to buy you enough time to get off the premises without being spotted. But you _have_ to _run_. Run as fast as you can. Go _down_ to the river. Take the boat that belongs to my family. The oars are there and everything. _Take it_ , and use it to get to the sea. This route is the _only way_ that you can get out of Karakura town without them noticing you. You _have_ to be fast because there's _no estimate_ to how long I can divert their attention. And I _do not give a damn_ about what you hear behind you; You do _not._ Look. _Back_. Now _go_!"

The moment hung in the stagnant air. Orihime didn't move.

"What are you waiting for, you stupid girl? _GO!_ " Snarled Nanao, digging her fingernails into her arm.

"I don't want to go" Sniveled Orihime softly.

"This is my home. Not theirs. Why do I have to leave? They're the ones who came here. It isn't fair!" Snot trickled out of her nose and unshed tears blurred Nanao's exasperated expression.

" I wanna stay in Karakura town. I wanna stay with Sora. This is all because we're poor. _That's_ why I can't live with him anymore" Her body quivered with silent sobs.

"Why can't they just leave Sora alone? Why can't they leave all of us alone? What did we ever do to _them?_ "

"Do you want your brother to _die?_ " Growled Tatsuki.

Orihime tearfully looked at him one last time before preparing to leave. It would appear that he managed to scrape together enough savings from their last market day to pay 100,000 dollars. The Arrancar pirates were turning to leave.

"Hold it captain douchebag!" Sora's voice rang with pain and defiance. Aizen slowly turned around.

"Who the hell told you that I was paying for myself?"

Ryuuken, Nanao, Orihime and Tatsuki all gasped.

"That money was for my little sister!"

Aizen smirked.

"So you're saying that she's still alive after all!"

"What do you think you're doing, you fool!?" Bellowed Ryuuken.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Old Man" Said Sora confidently.

"I have to do this to protect Orihime. If it means that I've gotta die for that to happen, then I guess that's what I have to do"

"That nincompoop" Moaned Nanao, softly.

"She's my everything, my whole world. And although she gives me a ton of trouble, I wouldn't trade it for her weight in gold" Tears filled his eyes.

"All I've ever wanted is to give her a happy life. And to make sure that she was safe." He closed his eyes contentedly.

"Knowing that her safety has been guaranteed, I can go with no regrets"

Orihime tore herself free of a numbstruck Nanao and dashed into her brother's arms with enough force to send him flying onto his back.

"Sora, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you! I love you so much! I didn't really mean any of them! Just please don't die!"

The tears flowed from Sora's eyes like water from a broken dam. He held her as close and tightly as he could with his unbroken arm.

"Don't-don't cry 'hime" He sobbed.

"I-I'm sorry that I couldn't be the provider you deserved-"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Bawled Orihime as she burrowed her face in his neck.

"I DON'T NEED A SINGLE THING BUT YOU! JUST PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

Sora smiled wistfully at her and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"You'll be fine without me 'hime. Just promise me that you'll live a happy life"

"DON'T TALK LIKE THAT SORA! I'LL HEAL YOU RIGHT NOW!"

An ominous shadow loomed over the siblings.

"Am I wrong in inferring that this is your sister, Sora Inoue?" Asked Aizen politely.

The young man looked up into his eyes defiantly.

"No. You aren't. And you have to _promise_ me that you won't touch so much as a single hair on her precious head."

"Don't concern your ass with her pathetic life" Sneered a blue haired man.

"it's _yours_ that you should be afraid for"

"HELP!" Screeched Orihime. Ryuuken, who had somehow produced a bow and arrows, tried to fire the latter at Aizen, but the blue haired man deflected all of them with one swipe of his sword. Then, with another he cut down Ryuuken. Nanao cried out for her uncle and ran to him before getting knocked out with a punch from the black-haired man (who was revealed to be at least six feet tall) Suddenly, a distant shouting was made audible. An angry mob of villagers was coming up to the house with makeshift weapons, clearly intent on driving the pirates out.

Aizen chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head like a father trying to teach a stubborn child.

"Do they really think that they are a match for us? How naive"

"Permission to kick their asses?" Salivated the black-haired man with the wide grin.

"You have it"

In dull horror, Orihime watched her entire village get struck down like tin soldiers by the pirates. But the shock was galvanized when Aizen turned his attention back to Sora.

"Now, if you've wrapped up this touching display and parted last words, I'd really like to use you to set an example for those who dare defy my authority."

 _Thud!_ Orihime was thrown onto the porch by Sora with what remaining strength he had left. Ignoring the aching bump on her head, she scrambled to get to her feet and saw Aizen draw his sword and point it to her brother.

"Orihime!" Sora shouted. She tried to get up and run to him again, but her whole body felt like lead. No matter how much will she put into her actions, she couldn't seem to move.

Her brother smiled peacefully and waved...

"I love you..."

And then Orihime watched in slow motion, as Aizen fluidly drive his sword through her brother's heart...


	5. Chapter 5

" _ **SORA!**_ " Shrieked Orihime as she hurled herself at her brother's lifeless body and plunged down.

"It'll be ok. It's gonna be ok." She whimpered as she took his hands in hers. Everything would be allright. This was nothing. In seconds, Sora would be standing up again.

"S-Soutten-Kishhun. _Soutten Kishhun I reject!_ " She sobbed as the orange light soaked Sora with it's healing abilities. The mounting desperation she had felt earlier quickly changed into relief as she saw the stab wound closing. Within seconds it was nonexistent and the light dissolved into nothingness.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Orihime collapsed to the ground out of sheer gratitude. Praising the heavens, she turned her attention back to her brother.

"Wake up, brother! Wake up!" She nudged him gently. When he didn't respond for entire minutes, her joy quickly changed back into hysteria-doused terror.

"Sora...SORA! WAKE UP!" She shouted. Her gentle nudges turned into slaps and pummels, as she frantically tried to awaken her brother. Putting her head on his chest, her entire body felt hollowed out as she heard no heartbeat.

"WAKE UP ALREADY! PLEASE!" She howled, as the tears began to blind her.

"DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME! THEY AREN'T FUNNY I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Eventually, her desperation corroded her coherent thought away and she was reduced to sobbing incomprehensibly over her brother. Her soutten kishhun, which she could always depend on before had failed her at a time when she needed it the most. Orihime's world was falling to shambles and the more she tried to piece it back together, the harder it's form would get to maintain...but Orihime didn't realize that she was being watched.

"Did you...did you see what that girl did?" Whispered the black haired man in awe.

" _How_ " Said a blond woman to a man with shoulder-length brown hair and an unkempt appearance. He yawned and shrugged.

"How should I know"

The pink haired man looked as though he were having an existential crisis.

"This can't be...this goes against every law of science...it isn't possible...she closed that man's wound without administering any proper or known medical technique known to the human race... _what is this!_ "

"What the hell is that brat?" Said an old man with skin that looked like it had been cured and salted.

A feminine-looking youth, not much older than Orihime, herself grabbed her by the collar of her dress and yanked her off the ground.

"What witchcraft is this?" He shrilled.

"What the hell did you do, you little bitch!?"

"It would appear that she is turning back time" Reasoned a black haired man with green eyes who looked like a corpse reanimated against it's will.

Aizen simply smiled softly

"What an interesting ability."

The pirates all looked at him quizically.

"I believe it could be of some use to me" He turned around.

"I would very much appreciate it if you brought her back to the ship with us"

Orihime gasped and pivoted her body as she began to run the opposite direction. But within seconds the black haired man had grabbed her wrist so hard that the circulation was completely cut off.

"Come along pet" He leered as he dragged her off with an incredible amount of strength.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO,PLEASE!" Howled Orihime as she struggled to get out of his grasp. She might as well have been in handcuffs.

"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU BULLY!" Yelled Tatsuki as she ran up to the man and began to kick the back of his knees with every fiber of her being. The man whirled around to glare at her.

"You are _really_ pissing me, off you bitch!" He snarled and he sent her flying into a palm tree with one swift kick.

Orihime's wails of fear for herself and concern for Tatsuki went unheeded by the cut down Ryuuken.

"W-wait" Groaned a groggy Nanao as she grabbed his ankle.

"Don't hurt-her...Sora...must have made...you promise...please" She desperately tried to force herself int oa state of awareness, but her body was taking it's own sweet time to wake up.

"You needn't concern yourself with the girl" Soothed Aizen.

"I have no wish to hurt her...I just want to talk"

Nanao howled in anguish as Orihime's captor shook her loose of his ankle and stepped on her hand, crushing it effectively.


	6. Chapter 6

Orihime trudged back to her village, with her heart feeling ready to heave itself out of her mouth. She hoped that nobody would spot her until she packed her things. She didn't want to have to explain her decision. How could she? In the back of her mind, she was numbly praying that everybody was indoors.

"Orihime!"

Her feeble hope slowly sputtered out in despair as she vaguely heard Tatsuki's voice. Her heart sent a vague tremor of fear throughout her body, but she barely felt it or cared to. She was too busy being crushed with sorrow and self-loathing. Her best friend's acknowledgement barely even officially registered with the orangette until Tatsuki nearly sent her to her knees with the force of her hug.

"I'm so glad you're ok! You're not hurt are you? I swear, if they so much as laid a finger on you, I'll kick their asses so hard that they'll have to crap out of their mouths for a week!"

"I'm ok" Muttered Orihime quietly.

"How can you say that!" Cried a woman's voice. Orihime nudged her head up in mild curiosity to see the entire village crowding around her, worry etched upon their faces. In less than five minutes, that worry would be turned to hatred. Bracing herself, she turned around to face the recipient of the latest voice, Nanao.

"You are covered in bruises and all sorts of facial contusions!" fretted the bespectacled woman.

"We need to get you to the clinic right away!"

"It's ok" Repeated Orihime, sorrowfully.

"I can heal myself. Don't worry"

To avoid further pity, she quickly summoned her shunshun rika and within seconds, her face was normal.

"How did you get back from the ship?" Asked Ryuuken.

"They've set up a base in the village of Hueco Mundo. I walked back" Orihime muttered.

"But how did you escape?"

"What did they want with you?"

"Are you putting the village in danger by coming back here?"

"Will the Arrancar pirates come back to you"

The flurry of questions from the villagers melted into a tidal wave of babbling and rabble as Orihime forced herself to stand strong. Even if the whole village would hate her, she was doing it all for them. She took a deep breath.

"I'm...I'm going to...to work for...Aizen" Part of her hoped that nobody heard her. But she really was running low on hope that day.

"WHAT!" The broken chorus melted into a perfect harmony of shock bordering on outrage. Orihime's insides felt like they were deteriorating into pitch black sludge, but she inhaled and forced her face into a smile. She closed her eyes to restrain the tears.

Nanao lifted an eyebrow menacingly slowly.

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"I'll...have the life I always dreamed of...I-I'll get to be the ship's doctor. I'll travel all over the world! That's my dream!" The orangette bit her lip as hard as she could.

"WHAT THE HELL ORIHIME? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?"Screamed Tatsuki.

"Hold on, Arisawa" Said Dr. Ishida. He knelt down and put both his shoulders on Orihime, with a firmness threatening to cause her pain.

"What did they threaten you with, Orihime? Did they say they would hurt you?"

Orihime winced. If she told the truth, then she would jeopardize the entire village. If Aizen saw them coming in an angry mob, he'd crush them within minutes of arrival, and would call off the deal. And then the last scrap of hope in Orihime's life would be extinguished forever, and her heart would not be able to withstand the weight of the crushing sadness. The fear of that sadness won her inner conflict.

"No...they didn't"

"THEY MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING!" For the first time in her life, Orihime heard the doctor raise his voice. She shut her eyes as tight as she could and shook her head like a wet dog to hide her tears, brushing free of his grip.

"NO NO NO!"

"TELL THE TRUTH GIRL!"

"YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

The girl spun around and braced herself as if she were about to get her back whipped. Blood was trickling out of her lip now as she raised her sleeve and revealed the back of her arm for all to see.

The village gasped collectively.

"That's a... number...the signature number tatoo of the Arrancar pirates that marks their individual ranks"

And indeed on Orihime's arm was a jet black number of thirty-two in beautiful calligraphy.

"Why.. 'hime? Just... why?" Gasped Tatsuki.

Orihime's tears were freely flowing down her face and there was nothing she could do to hide it at that point. She fumbled in her pocket for a moment and fished out a wad of cash. It took every ounce of her will to push her face into a wishy-washy smile reminiscient of a vibrating rope.

"Look...just look at all this money he gave me...and that's just in advance! I'm going to get a salary at least four times what I got in the clinic for rolling bandages and hemming..."

 _whampf!_

A wave of green bills erupted in a shower around the figure of Tatsuki and Orihime, the former of whom tackled the latter.

"WHO CARES ABOUT THE STUPID MONEY!" Shrieked Tatsuki

"I WILL NEVER EVER EVER FREAKING FORGIVE YOU IF YOU JOIN THOSE WORTHLESS SCUMBAGS! HOW COULD YOU VOLUNTEER FOR THOSE BASTARDS AFTER WHAT THEY DID TO YOUR BROTHER! WHAT WOULD HE SAY IF HE LEARNED YOU WERE WORKING FOR HIS MURDERERS!?"

Orihime felt as though her heart was being torn to pieces by hand as she prepared herself for what she'd say next. She whispered in the back of her mind that it was for the good of the village, but the mantra did little to soothe the agony of the words.

"WELL WHAT'S THE GOOD OF LIVING LIKE SORA IF ALL IT DOES IS GET YOU KILLED! I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE A WEAKLING!"

At that moment, the only sounds that followed that outburst in the seconds followed were Orihime's pitiful sobs. Tatsuki broke the silence after what felt like five lifetimes.

"Sora gave...his life... so that you could continue living in the village... how could you-"

"That's enough Arisawa!" Interjected Doctor Ishida. He had ow turned away and the anger and rage in his voice seemed to turn Orihime's blood to dust in shame.

"You have one hour to get your belongings from your residence, Inoue. After that, you may leave this village and do not consider yourself to have the privilege of returning"

As he walked off, so did the crowd. Orihime had anticipated the hostility but it didn't make it any less painful. Not in the least


	7. Chapter 7

Orihime stared out at the sea from the cliff she was perched. She couldn't remember a time when she has cried as hard as she was doing now. Every heave of her sobs felt like somebody was driving a stake into her heart. Yet she couldn't stop her sadness. Had she not have been wailing herself into borderline hysterics, she might have heard Tatsuki's footsteps as she walked up to her. But it wasn't until she placed her hand on her shoulder that she looked up and noticed her.

"You hate me don't you?" Whimpered the girl to her tomboyish friend.

"You hate me for joining Aizen's crew"

Tatsuki sighed as she sat next to her.

"Well I couldn't believe my ears at first" She agreed.

"But then I thought about it. The Orihime I know is way too smart to join a bunch of idiots like the Arrancar pirates. And the Orihime I know would never ever go to work for her brother's murderer in a million years. Unless of course she had a good reason." She placed her head on Orihime's shoulder.

"It's gonna be a cold day in hell before I ever let you have to go through anything alone, Orihime. So you might as well tell me what exactly Aizen did to you in Hueco Mundo. I know he didn't get you to join him before putting those bruises on your face. So out with it, already. "

Orihime took a shaky breath. She had vowed to bear the weight of her deal with Aizen alone, but she never really expected to be able to hide it from Tatsuki.

"At this very moment, I am the only one...who can save our town from the Arrancar pirates" She murmered.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I made an agreement with Aizen. I would buy Karakura town from his bondage for 65 million berries!"

Her best friend gasped.

"Orihime that's crazy! You don't have nearly enough money!"

"That's why I'm working for his crew. I'm going to save all the money that I can spare from living expenses for the next few years until...until"  
She forced herself to smile and put her faith in the distant dream.

"Until I can earn enough money to buy freedom for our town!"

"But then how much are your 'living expenses'? How much is he paying you?"

"I... I get paid $400 berries every month. It costs me fifty berries every week for three meals a day. Since I can't live in Karakura town anymore, I'll have to board in Hueco Mundo. That will cost me at least 30 berries a week. So when I factor out the cost within each week plus the fifty berries for my uniform..."

Tatsuki jumped up in indignation

"That's about only thirty berries a month! That's daylight robbery! Unless you live to be older than Aizen, there's no way that you can scrape together 1 million berries much less 65! What on Earth were you thinking! You should call off the deal and leave this entire mess to the Shinigami forces! I'm sure that they can kick Aizen's butt up and down the entire ocean-"

"You don't understand!" Wailed the orangette sadly.

"In Hueco Munco, the Arrancar pirates sank three battalions of ships who had come to rescue Karakura town! It was like watching a show! He isn't called the warlord of the sea for nothing and there's no way that the Shinigami's navy will waste any more time and resources on us! We're not a fancy city! We're a tiny little village that's not even on most maps! Don't you see we're on our own!"

Watching her friend';s once-everlasting optimism deplete away for the first time in her life made Orihime's heart feel like it was breaking. It was up to her to put on a brave face and smile. She had to be strong. Not just for her but for every single member of the vilalge.

"Just-just you wait! I will get that money on my own! Even if I have to be the Arrancar pirate's doctor for the rest of my life, I will earn that money and save everybody! I have to!"

"But-but can't you at least tell the village. Maybe if we can all chip in together, we can put up a fund and-"

"I REFUSE!" Cried Orihime.

"Everybody is already going to have a hard enough time earning up the tribute for themselves and trying to make ends meet without trying to out aside cash on the side! This deal is between me and Aizen. If he finds out that anybody is helping me, he said that- he said that-"

Orihime bit her lip so hard that she could feel herself tearing off chunks of flesh. She dully sensed the taste o iron in her mouth. But she wasn't going to cry. She was never going to cry again. She refused to give Aizen the satisfaction of her tears. He had done nothing to deserve them.

"If anybody helps me pay for Karakura town, Aizen will slaughter them in front of the entire town in a public ceremony to make an example!" She blurted.

"It's bad enough that Sora had to give his life trying to pay for my wages! I won't let anybody else die for me! Never again! Never ever ever-"

Orihime's desperate attempt to suppress the waterworks was proven futile when Tatsuki engulfed her in her arms in a bear hug.

"You are so brave, Orihime!" She whispered.

"And if anybody ever tries to tell you otherwise, send them to me for a can of whoop-ass!"

Orihime sniffled gratefully before nestling into her friend's arms and resigning herself to one last bout of tears. This was the last time. She swore. Just this once.


End file.
